I am assuming S is still the dominant pull pattern, but if you are using I, are you using it 100% of the time and for all distances?
I am not collecting this information for any purpose, just curious how the I pattern adoption is going along and what people think of it.
S Pattern: Entering close to the median line of the body, then sculling out before beginning the catch. At the catch the hand begins an inward sweep before turning outward somewhere mid torso with the hand underneath the body. The stroke finishes and exits the water on the final outward sweep. See picture.
I Pattern: The hand enters wide of the mid line of the body with no scull before the catch. From the catch to the finish is approximately a straight line.
The difference between S and I is S has phases in different directions while I tries to maintain a single direction the entire time.
lh5.ggpht.com/.../SANY0001.JPG
I think the "I" pattern is a misnomer as no one pulls straight back.I was taught the "S" but as I have focused on EVF my pull has straightened considerably.That is for free of course,fly is more of a double S,*** is a fairly wide "heart" and I won't mention my backstroke.
I am using the I pattern for all distances.
I switched about 3 months ago with no negative effect on my times. With only 3 months experience, my pull could still be improved and probably still have a wave in it, but my entry point is about a foot wider than it used to be eliminating the need for the initial outward scull, which had the benefit of reducing stress on my shoulders. Before the change to the wider entry, my shoulders could only handle about 15k/week max. Now 5+k days are no problem (for my shoulders ;) ).
Woo hoo, the poll's neck and neck! ;)
The S pattern is so ingrained in my muscle memory, I think it would require a tremendous amount of retraining to change.
Also, the upsweep is a key component of my roll rhythm. I find an I-stroke difficult to even imagine performing.
Free style: S pattern (most definitely. see note below)
Back Stroke: I hate this stroke.
*** Stroke: Relatively wide pulling
Butterfly: I enter at shoulders width, don't go much passed this, then my hand are almost touching themselves underneath my body before final push
Note on my S pattern. I absolutely don't perform any outward scull upon entry though. I find it is in contradiction with the body motion. So for me it's entry then flex the wrist then along with the body rotation, hand is going inward then outward, again following body rotation.
So down, in, then out and up. Not entirely an S I guess, but not an I neither.
Isin't that an "hour glass" pattern I read about? The stroke travels a greater distance in that pattern, and is therefore more efficient, than if it went perfectly straight from A to B? :argue:
It isn't more efficient.The "S" was developed when the idea was that the pull was predominantly lift dominated(like sculling.)Since the current thought is that the pull is drag dominant,it is much straighter.
From what I understand, the S wasn't developed, but discovered, when observation of elite swimmers revealed that they didn't use an idealized straight stroke, but rather moved from side to side as they pulled, and it was that discovery which sparked interest in the whole drag/lift thing, which ended up going pretty much nowhere.
I was taught the S pattern because it worked. Which it definitely did.
Once I developed a better water-feel, I settled into my own stroke pattern, based on where I was feeling the greatest purchase against the water. And for me, a variation of the S pattern gives me that.
ETA: With a straight stroke, you generate a greater leading break, which makes your hand move through the water more easily, which is not what you want. Varying the angle and transverse location of your hand allows you to constantly move out of that leading pocket, which gives you a more resistent column of water to push against through the entire range of your stroke.
Right,in that it was Councilman's observations that showed the nascent S,but it was his theorizing that led to it's wide acceptance.He really had 2 theories about the S,the lift theory and the"search for calm water" theory.
As I said,no one pushes straight back which does mean that we are pretty much getting calm water the whole time,plus accelerating the hands also mitigates this problem.Led by the Australians(who I believe never were as enamored of the S) the faster freestylers evolved to a more straight back pull.There are certainly still some very fast S swimmers.
For freestyle I try to use the "I" pull pattern relative to the bottom of the pool. But if you trace my pull relative to my body it would be more curvy, starting wide - as I am on one side, then sweeping to midline - when I am square, then sweeping out - as I rotate to the other side.
So my answer depends on point of reference.
